Is it possible to go past the cervix

The long and short of it is that the penis cannot penetrate the cervix during sex. The cervix has a small opening called the os that enlarges during childbirth check out pictures of the uterus and cervix from Mayo Clinic , but otherwise remains a tiny opening. The os is usually plugged with mucus and is too small to let a penis inside. Communicating with your girlfriend about what feels good and what doesn't may help you better understand and eventually treat the cause of the pain.

Dyspareunia a. It is characterized by persistent or recurrent genital pain that happens just before, during, or after sex. Although there may be a physical reason for the pain, i. A health care provider can help determine what is going on. For more information on why sex may be painful for your girlfriend, check out the answers to Painful penetration? Use this handy video guide for tips on getting a good picture of your vaginal canal and cervix.

The Beautiful Cervix Project is a movement to better understand and appreciate the awesomeness of the underrated cervix.

After sharing her images with the world, she found that other women also wanted to see their own cervices that's plural for cervix! The Beautiful Cervix Project is dedicated to people working to reclaim their entire bodies as beautiful and lovable. The more we know about ourselves, the more we feel confident to advocate and care for ourselves. While each cervix is slightly different which is why we recommend checking out your own cervix!

Starkey was kind enough to share some cervix pictures to help you see what your cervix is up to When your cervix is just hanging out, the visible part of the cervix protrudes into the vaginal canal and is covered by smooth, pink, squamous epithelium, says Kim Thornton, M. In this picture, the cervix is preparing for ovulation by preparing more fluid.

The cervix looks a little bit like a donut. When it's closed, the hole looks like a dimple, but it opens during ovulation to let sperm in, explains Ronald D. Blatt, M. After ovulation, the cervix prepares for menstruation. In this picture the cervix is just doing its thing, waiting for either a pregnancy or shark week to happen. The average cervix measures 3 to 5 centimeters in length and 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter, Thornton says.

When your flow comes to visit, you know the blood is coming from somewhere up in there, but this picture shows exactly how it comes out of your cervix. Again, the dimple in the center—called the os—is in the open position to release menstrual fluids, Blatt says. This is a picture of the cervix just minutes after the woman had an orgasm during sex you can even see the semen pooled around the bottom.

Depending on the size of you and your partner's anatomy, the penis can bump into the cervix during sex. Chances are you haven't given your cervix much thought. Unlike the labia, clitoris , and vaginal canal, the cervix doesn't get a lot of love—literally and figuratively speaking.

Part of that is due to its location, way at the top of your vaginal canal. You can't see it and you won't feel it unless you're actively trying to. It just sits up there, quietly doing its job, and unless something goes wrong with it, you're likely to forget its even there. Many women don't think about their cervix until they are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant.

Once you're trying to conceive, you'll hear lots of talk about the state of your cervix—how long it is, how thin it is, if anything is coming out of it. But you don't have to be gestating to appreciate the power of this little organ. Your cervix is doing a lot for you, right this very second.

It plays a vital role in protecting your health and helping your reproductive system run as smoothly as possible—it's how sperm get in and menstrual blood gets out, after all, explains Kim L. Thornton, M. It may even help you have a better sex life : It's possible for some women to have an orgasm just from gentle cervical stimulation alone, according to a study published in the journal Hormones and Behavior.

And even if you can't get off simply from cervical stimulation, adding that to clitoral stimulation may give you a more intense climax.

Who wouldn't want that? So to help you understand just what your cervix means to you, we asked doctors to share what they most wish women understood about the tiny organ.

If you stick your fingers up inside your vagina like, all the way up you can feel the part of your cervix that protrudes into your vagina. It should feel smooth and firm—similar to the end of your nose—and depending on the time of the month, may have a lot of mucous. Despite the fact that the speculum they use to reach your cervix during your annual gyno exam seems huge, the cervix itself is actually pretty small, Thornton says. On average it measures three to five centimeters thick and two to three centimeters across.